Project information

Gwrych and The Great War: People and Place

Turning memoirs into stories and play to be performed in and around Gwrych Castle Estate in June 2018.
Looking at the changes that have occurred in relationship to mental health, having fun with people's memories, taking seriously hope people coped with the changes from 1913-1919

Charity information: Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust Limited

Need

Showing the massive changes that occurred in this area from 1913-1919 with the Great War and how this still effects us today.
Looking at mental health attitudes then and now, how we deal with memory and what is good to share and what is not.

Solution

Using plays, poems and stories we will recreate the period, taking people on a journey through Gwrych estate and through the lives of people who lived and worked in the area and experienced the changes.

Aim 1

Turning memoirs into plays, poems and stores

Activities

» Writing groups within the local school to look at the memoirs and write what they see and feel from them. » Using the existing group that meets at Gwrych Castle on a Tuesday to look at the memoirs, write what they see and feel from them and writing from » Inviting people from other local writing groups to be a part of looking at the memoirs, write what they see and feel from them.

What success will look like

By keeping records of the written material, some of which will be published and some which will be on display boards in the Countess's Writing Room at Gwrych Castle.

Aim 2

Turn the written pieces into performances

Activities

» Time spent with local people involved in theatre and drama taking advise on how to make writing into performance » Rehearsals in and around the castle estate » Performances on at the Midsummer Open day in June 2018

What success will look like

By keeping a record of visitor numbers to the weekend, and also recording it to go on Gwrych's YouTube account, Facebook page and website

Impact

By involving local schools and others who would not normally be involved in events on Gwrych estate this will gain more local involvement, local "ownership" of the estate and help locals to see more than just on a regular open day the restoration and reasons behind the way the restoration is happening.
This will be demonstrated by an increase in volunteers which will lead to an increase in events at the Castle.

Risk

Risks could be the lack of involvement from the local community. We are dealing with that now by putting out calls for people to be involved, going to events in the area to promote the project, and gathering a data base of people who wish to be involved.
We now have the minimum amount of people required to make this project happen

Reporting

Via Gwrych's website and facebook page, by emailing the members,, those on our mailing list, and volunteers. We will then ask all contacted to pass on the information to friends, family and acquaintances. We will contact the local media to get this in the local papers.

Current Funding / Pledges

Location

Gwrych Castle is a ruined mock Gothic Georgian castle on the edge of Abergele. The area is struggling due to lack of industry, decline in farming and not being on the tourist highway.
Abergele itself has a high elderly population but still supports 3 primary and one high school. It is on the boarder of a high Welsh speaking area but the town itself is divided on whether it wants to be a Welsh-speaking or English-speaking majority.

Beneficiaries

This project would help to place Abergele on the tourist trail and stem those who just get on the A55 at the end of the M6 and go either straight through to the ferry to Ireland or to the A5 into Snowdonia. Along this events that CADW are promoting it would help to show the diversity of this area.
Gwrych Castle was once called the "Jewel of Wales" back in the 1940s and 50s. This project would help to make this possible.

Why Us?

Gwrych Preservation Trust is best placed to do this because it has been involved for the last 20 years in making Gwrych be on the local agenda. Since 2013 it has leased 5 acres of the estate from the owners. The owners are now offering the whole estate to the Trust to purchase.